What happens when you speak out against corruption, and why are whistleblowers still being left behind?
This short film, developed with Corruption Watch,
highlights the urgent need to reform South Africa’s whistleblower protection laws. It outlines the real-life consequences faced by those who expose wrongdoing – job losses, threats, fear – and unpacks why current legislation like the Protected Disclosures Act and the Witness Protection Act still fall far short.
The video asks a critical question: why are politicians resisting the changes needed to keep whistleblowers safe? And it makes a compelling case for the creation of an independent whistleblower agency – one that could offer proper legal, psychological and financial support to those brave enough to speak out.
South Africa has a National Anti-Corruption Strategy. What we need now is the political will to implement it.
Welcome to the State Capture and Beyond campaign – an ambitious nationwide initiative committed to combating corruption and building accountability in South Africa.
Led by the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) and the Human Rights Media Trust (HRMT), in partnership with Brot für die Welt (BfdW) and co-funded by the European Union, this campaign tackles the far-reaching impact of state capture while promoting public participation, especially among vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Our mission is simple but urgent: to empower citizens, foster transparency in public processes, and hold those in power accountable.
Through the voices of affected communities and advocates, the three case studies and two explainer videos in this series expose how corruption severely undermines basic rights, and profiles how people are standing up to reclaim them.
